Five myths about public sector pay

There has been a great deal of comment in the past few months about public sector pay, some of it ill informed and much of it missing the point. Peter Smith, director of public sector consulting at Hay Group, looks at five myths that seem to have developed and comments on the real issues in […]

Public sector people squeeze dents optimism

Although the UK jobs market appears to be on the road to recovery, more pain could be on the way as the impact of the forthcoming public sector squeeze makes itself felt over the next six to 12 months.  These are the findings of the February’s ‘Report on Jobs’, which is produced by financial information […]

Public sector cuts are bad news for female workers

Female workers face the worst employment prospects for a generation as swingeing job cuts in the public sector, which employs twice as many women as the private, mean that they will be disproportionately hit.  These are the findings of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook (LMO) survey of […]

A possible 25,000 jobs to go in public sector

Employers should prepare themselves for slow economic recovery and the potential for “social disharmony” should predictions about the possible loss of 25,000 jobs at local councils in England over the next three to five years come to pass.   According to a survey from business lobbyists the CBI, the growth picture in the UK’s vital […]

Workplace bullying – not only at Number 10

Recent headlines have hit the Labour party with a book claiming Gordon Brown is a bully – an allegation seemingly backed up by a national hotline claiming they have received calls from ‘several’ members of Number 10 staff. However, this has now been hit with a backlash of its own as this has been perceived […]

Public sector management must improve, say experts

While a number of local authorities are introducing performance-related pay structures across their workforces, it appears that front line management will need to improve if staff are to see the benefits.  According to a report by the Local Government Chronicle, Camden London Borough Council and both Essex and Kent County Councils are among a group […]

Public sector job cuts crossroads on road to recovery

Although the UK jobs market is moving ‘out of intensive care’ and confidence is returning to the private sector, it is likely to be hit by public sector redundancies over the next 12 to 18 months, according to experts.  The latest ‘Report on Jobs’ published by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and management consultants […]

Age discrimination in the media: Strictly unlawful?

The BBC has faced considerable criticism recently following allegations of age and sex discrimination, particularly in relation to Radio One and the popular television series, Strictly Come Dancing. Carly Mathers explains.         There have been some recent allegations of age and sex discrimination at the BBC, the most prominent of which stem […]

HR tip: Lateness and absence caused by transport strike

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question:"During a recent public transport strike, some of our employees failed to turn up for work and others arrived late. We feel that it is employees' responsibility to turn up for work regularly […]

Government minister tells public sector workers to embrace change

Cabinet Office Minister Ian McCartney today urged public sector workers to embrace change in the drive to modernise public services. In a speech at the "Delivering modernised government – strategy into action" conference, Mr McCartney appealed to civil servants and public servants to continue taking the initiative and modernise government by coming up with workable […]

New Policy for public sector IT systems

Cabinet Office Minister Ian McCartney yesterday unveiled a key plan in the Government's drive to get all its services online by 2005 and cut bureaucracy within the public sector. Speaking at London's QE2 Centre, Mr McCartney launched the e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF) – a piece of policy which will help IT systems across the whole […]